The New Avatar
by Moondancer5813
Summary: When Annabeth cheats on Percy, he destroys the camp in a fit of rage. As punishment, Zeus banishes Percy to an unknown world where he must end a war and live out the rest of his days. Thankfully, Poseidon convinces the Council to give Percy control over the elements. What kind of adventures will occur when Percy meets the Gaang and they work together to stop the evil Firelord?
1. Chapter 1: Betrayal and Broken Hearts

**Summary: When Annabeth cheats on Percy, he destroys the camp in a fit of rage. As punishment, Zeus banishes Percy to an unknown world where he must end a war and live out the rest of his days. Thankfully, Poseidon convinces the Council to give Percy control over the elements. What kind of adventures will occur when Percy meets the Gaang and they work together to stop the evil Firelord?**

 **(A/N) Heyo! This is my VERY FIRST FANFIC! I'm so psyched! XD Just to let ya know, my updates will probably be once a week at the most unless it's a special occasion. Since school is starting up I'll try my best to write consistently! Also, Percy might seem to be a bit OP, but I'll try and make him work for it. Oh, and it's been a while since I've seen this series, so the characters might be a little OOC.**

 **Disclaimer: Whadaya think?** **FAN** **fiction, remember ;)  
**

 **All Reviews, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome!**

 **Note: All flames will be given to Leo to play with (GO MCSCHIZZLE!)**

 **Make sure to read the End of Chapter A/N, it has important stuff in it!**

 **ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **~MD5813  
**

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Chapter 1: Betrayal and Broken Hearts

Percy's POV:

My blood was rushing in my ears while I numbly watched the scene in front of me unfold.

A couple kissing on the beach would be sweet, under normal circumstances. Under normal circumstances, the girl would not have a boyfriend. Under normal circumstances, I would leave the couple in peace.

These were not normal circumstances.

"Annabeth...why?" I asked, heartbroken.

Annabeth looked at me and sneered, "Because, Seaweed Brain, Ryan is better than you. He's everything Luke was before the war. You are nothing." She said this with such loathing that I stumbled.

Tears slid down my face and I felt my heart break. The pieces were scattered through my chest, leaving nothing but a black void. A void that anger and hate quickly filled.

A tug in my gut was the result of this anger. The seas rose, waves frothing on the surface and hurricane force winds whipped through my hair.

Ryan looked at me with an expression of pure fear. He scrambled to his feet, and grabbed Annabeth by the hand, practically dragging her back to camp.

I might as well've never seen this, with the lack of feeling in my mind.

When I fight, the pain in my stomach keeps me grounded. Keeps me under control. Now, my numb body felt nothing. No pain, just emotional anguish.

The ground began to shake and I heard cries in the distance. Large waves crashed down around me, swamping everything in their wake.

I looked down and saw a small hurricane surrounding me, mimicking the large one around Camp. Lightning crashed overhead, and large cracks appeared in the ground.  
A flash of light registered in the corner of my vision. I turned and saw Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus stepped forward and yelled over the wind, "Stop this, Jackson! The Camp is being destroyed!"

But these words fell upon deaf ears. I felt nothing for no one. I was nothing. Then my father spoke.

"Percy, please. I know you have been hurt, but please. If you keep this up campers and mortals will be dead, do you hear me? Dead."

He walked forward, looked me in the eye, and grasped my shoulders, "Please." His voice reached me through a haze of pain and anger.

The dam holding back a flood of emotions broke. And with it, so did I. My knees buckled as exhaustion, both mental and physical, caught up with me.

I relaxed into his grip and crumpled to the ground. I felt the storm around me lessen, and then stop, along with the pull in my gut.

I sobbed silently, looking at the engagement ring in my hands. The one I was going to give to _her_.

Poseidon looked at the ring and connected the lines. His eyes widened in realization, "Oh Percy, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry!? Sorry!? Why are you sorry for the boy? He just destroyed the camp!" Zeus roared.

Just then Hades stepped forward, "Brother," he said addressing Zeus, "There is major damage to the camp, and several campers have been injured."

If possible, this made Zeus even angrier. His expression was twisted into one of rage, and his normally electric-blue eyes darkened to a thunderstorm grey.

I was horrified with myself. The camp was in tatters, after only starting to recover from another war. Multiple campers have been injured and it was all because of me.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

Zeus glowered at me, "We shall discuss his punishment on Olympus. Call a council meeting."  
I was beyond shocked. I don't think these words even registered properly. All I knew was how every time I had happiness within my grasp, the fates yanked out of my grip.

The next thing I knew, Zeus had flashed us to Olympus and the council was deciding my fate.

"The boy has grown too powerful. He must be contained. Or...killed." Many of the Olympians looked displeased with this ultimatum.

"Brother, please," Poseidon pleaded desperately.

"He disrupts the balance of this world!" Zeus thundered, and Poseidon countered with, "Then send him to another one!"

Everyone paled, whereas I looked on with confusion.

Zeus paused, deep in thought. After a moment he said, "That is a solution. I suppose if we send him to end the war..."

Poseidon's POV:

I knew that there was no going back now. I had to do something to at least give Percy a fighting chance. This world has seen more horrors in the past hundred years than many of us gods often see in a millennia.

Then I had an idea, "I request that we vote further on this matter."

"How so?" Zeus rumbled dangerously.

"We all know that this parallel dimension is run by element wielders, yes?" All of the gods nodded, "I say that we strengthen Percy's connection to the elements, so he may better survive in this world. May I remind you that this dimension is violent and war-ridden."

"Very well," Zeus said unhappily, "Let us vote."

"All who are in favor?" I asked.

Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and I raised our hands. A tie. This means the motion is not passed, the council needs majority rule to act upon a request. I felt the small hope I had built crumble.

Then Hestia raised her hand as well.

"What is this?!" Zeus roared, "Hestia cannot vote!"

Hesta's reply was uncharacteristically cold, "Brother, just because I gave up my throne does not mean gave up my voice on this council. I may usually choose to remain neutral, but I will not always stand to the side." The flames in her eyes flickered dangerously, and Zeus gulped.

"Very well," he said, meekly.

Despite the fact that he was king of the gods, Hestia was still his older sister.

Percy POV:

After this change of events, I spoke up. "Can I have a moment with my father?"  
My voice sounded weak and broken, even to me.

Hestia looked at me in sympathy, "Of course," she said kindly.  
Zeus grumbled something inaudible, and then flashed out, along with the gods whom had voted against me.

Surprisingly, several gods remained to say goodbye to me.

My father was one, and so were Artemis, Apollo, Hestia, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hades, and Aphrodite.

Hephaestus moved forward first, "Percy, you have saved Olympus countless times and yet this is the thanks you get. I am so sorry, if that means anything to you."  
I smiled wryly, "I forgive you. It's my fault. I should be punished."

Hephaestus only smiled sadly and moved back.

Then, Hermes stepped forward. "Percy," he put his hands on my shoulders, "I have never properly thanked you for forgiving Luke. You forgave him; even though you were one of the people he betrayed the most. Thank you." I could only nod. There was a lump in my throat that I couldn't get past. Hermes stepped back.

Apollo then stepped forward, "Percy you are more than a hero to me. I consider you a friend. You have saved our asses so many times and...Well, thank you. I'll miss you." Then he surprised everyone by giving me a hug. After the whole turning mortal incident, Apollo had bonded with me and many other campers. I hugged him back, tears in my eyes.

Aphrodite then moved toward me, sadness written across her face. "I am so sorry. That-that, _woman_ , who dumped you, she..." Aphrodite seemed to wilt and looked me in the eye, "I know that you will find love. And, if it is alright with you, I would like to give you my blessing. You have loved, lost friends and family, and yet…and yet, you have stayed strong, and stood tall. Will you accept my blessing?"

I was shocked, "Lady Aphrodite. Thank you, but I don't know if I will ever be able to love again."  
She looked at me carefully and said, "Please allow me. Everyone deserves to find love, Percy. At least let me make sure you do as well. The blessing will make sure you find who you truly belong with. No matter what. I will also bless the clothes you are wearing now to repair themselves when torn, and to always fit you." For some reason, she winked at me and I decided to go with it.

"If you insist."

She smiled kindly and placed her hand on my head, muttered something in ancient Greek and I felt a tingle of power pass into me. "The blessing will not take effect until you cross over." She said seriously.

I nodded, and she stepped back.

Then Hades moved forward. "Nephew. I am sorry for not voting as Hestia did. I have never been on the council, so I have o say in matters like these. I apologize."

"You did your best uncle. Thank you."

He nodded. "Also...thank you for taking such good care of Nico. I was never there for him as a father should be, but you always supported him as a brother and as a friend. I would also like to thank you, on behalf of all of Olympus, for saving us countless times. Thank you, Hero of Olympus."

I smiled sadly and nodded, not knowing what to say. He moved back, allowing Hestia to move forward.

"Percy. Despite all, you have fought for the good both in the world and in the hearts of its people. Although the gods will strengthen your connection with the elements, I would like to bless you and make you my champion. You will be able to summon home cooked food, have a complete resistance to heat, pyrokinesis, and you will be able to use Hope. Will you accept?"

I nodded and Hestia proceeded to do the same as Aphrodite, but with more power.

She smiled at me warmly, "Remember Percy, the hearth can be just to both hurt _and_ heal. The others may not always treat me so, but you have always treated me as a true Olympian. Thank you." She hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek, then stepped back allowing Artemis to step forward.

"Perseus Jackson," she said with tears in her eyes, "You are the only man I have met in millennium that is deserving of respect. You held the sky and fought for my lieutenant and I." Then she added almost shyly, "You saved me. Thank you." It was only now that I realized that she was not in the form of a twelve year-old, but of a woman my age. For some reason this made me blush fiery red.

Artemis moved closer and held my hand for a moment, crying. She whispered something to me in Ancient Greek. "You now have the blessings of both myself and Apollo. You will have archery abilities as advanced as both my brother's and I. You also have enhanced senses and limited healing abilities."

She squeezed my hand one last time and walked back slowly.

Finally, my father stepped forward.

"Percy. I-I am so proud of you. You are my son in every way and I hope that I have been some semblance of a father to you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for not doing more." He reached forward and hugged me, then mumbled into my hair, "Percy. I give you my blessing. Your hydro and terrakinesis abilities have been strengthened to rival mine. I love you. You are a true Hero of Olympus and of mortals."

I pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Tell mom," I choked over my next words. "Tell her that-that I love her and I will never forget her. And that I-I _will_ find a way back. I _will_ see her again." I paused, collecting myself.

"Tell my friends..my _real_ friends that I will always think of them with happiness and I will see them soon. Also...tell them to move on and not linger on my absence."

I closed my eyes, tears leaking out, and took a deep breath. I was at peace with the gods' decision and did not hate them. I could understand why they were doing this, but I was still angry and frustrated. But most of all...most of all, I was heartbroken.

Just as I had come to peace with my fate, Zeus flashed in along with the other Olympians. He stood glowering at my father and me.

Poseidon ignored him and gave me one last squeeze. He then pulled a perfect sand dollar out of his pocket and gave it to me. I nodded and slipped it onto my camp necklace, right in the center.

If it was possible, Zeus looked even angrier. He said loudly, "Let's hurry up, shall we?"

Hades and I just gave him our signature death stares and he looked as if he was about to wet his pants! Hades looked at me and grinned. I did the same back at him.

In that moment I knew that, while I was gone, the gods that stood up for me would make Zeus's life a living hell (quite literally in some cases).

Zeus backed down and my father said, "It brings me no pleasure to say this but now we shall send Perseus Jackson to the Four Nations and strengthen his connection with the five elements."

I paused for a moment at this, '... _wait_...five _elements?_ ' I thought to myself.

Before I could say anything, all of the gods surrounded me in a circle. They raised their hands, and they began to glow with their respective auras.

They began chanting in ancient Greek so fast that I couldn't translate it. All I got were snatches of words: _element...connections...power...savior...Avatar...prophecy...complete...being._

I was listening so intently that I wasn't prepared for when they finished and blasted me with light. Power stormed through my veins and I saw flashes of blue, green, red, yellow, and purple. The lights turned into symbols that I didn't recognize.

Everything started to go black. My last feeling was that of air rushing past me, and the stomach dropping sense of free-fall. Then, I gave up on my battle with consciousness and let the darkness take me.

* * *

 **(A/N) Okay, at the end of each chapter, I'll have an A/N that'll explain some stuff in the chapter. Or, it'll give you some clues on where the story's going *wink wink*.**

 **So, for this chapter, idk if you could see me playing around with a little Pertemis. I am trying to decide if I want some fluffy romance, or make Percy a loner/finds love in Avatarverse. I kinda feel that the Pertemis theme is a bit overused, so I'm leaning more towards loner. Please review and let me know what you think I should do! ;)**

 **Now, I know that many of you are probably thinking 'Annabeth would never do that!' or something along those lines. Well, the back-story on that was that Annabeth was starting to feel the differences in her and Percy's personalities. We all have to admit, they bring a new meaning to 'opposites attract'. Don't get me wrong, I am an avid Percabeth supporter, I just wanted to do something different.**

 **The Hermes Camper (Ryan) wasn't a jerk, that was actually the first time they kissed, before that they were just really good friends and Annabeth went to him to talk about her problems. Annabeth kinda exploded and said things she immediately regretted.**

 **I might have some cross-demigod-dreaming going on in later chapters so Percy can understand all of this (hey, he can't read amazing A/N's like this one, can he?).**

 **Okay, onto the whole 'OP Percy' dealio. Yes he is OP, yes I am biased towards Percy, and yes, I'm kinda crazy. (where did that last one come from?) AnyHoO (see that? no? okay.), He will not know how to use these powers, the blessings and the bending will work together, but he has no idea how to bend. So, currently, he only knows how to use his water and earth powers/blessing. He hasn't learned how to use Hestia's blessing yet. He will eventually learn how to use his bending, and the godly abilities will strengthen his bending. ie: his water will be stronger than, say, air since he was born with water/earthquake powers.**

 **Without the bending, Percy's firepowers are about equal to his waterpowers before Poseidon blessed him in the throne room. Percy now has water/earthquake powers almost as strong as his Dad's. He had no blessing towards air, and since Zeus hates him, he will have the most trouble learning how to bend air.**

 **Alrightie. I think that just about covers it all. Hopefully, other End of Chapter notes will be shorter. Thank you all for reading! I'll have the next chappie out soon, so in the meantime…Review! Question! Comment! Talk about Ducks! ;)**

 **~MD5813**


	2. Chapter 2: Catch Me If I Fall

**(A/N) Hi again! I'm here again with the next chappie of The New Avatar in 'celebration' *sarcasm* of the first week of school. :b I'd like to dedicate this chapter to** **HitGamer22** **since they were the first person to leave a review! So, basically, the first person to EVER comment on ANY of my fanfic's since this is my first one! Thank you to all of you amazing people whom R &R/favorite/follow! Also, kudos to everyone who read the End of Chapter note. It usually has some important info regarding the story, maybe even a few spoilers!**

 **Disclaimer:**

 **Me: If I owned either of these Fandom's, the characters would hate me. Obviously they don't.**

 **Percy: You sure about that?**

 **Me: Shut up, Kelp Head. No blue cookies.**

 **Percy: NOOOOO! I sorry. But you still don't own us.**

 **Me: *grumbles under breath* Fine.**

 **Eragon: I pledge unto you my sword and magic!**

 **Percy: Who's that weirdo?**

 **Me: Don't ask.**

 **Sokka: What did I miss?**

 **All Reviews, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome!**

 **Note: Zuko will not find flames funny. He already has one scar on his eye. :b ;)**

 **Make sure to read the End of Chapter A/N, it has important stuff in it!**

 **ON WITH THE STORY!**

 **~MD5813**

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Chapter 2: Catch Me If I Fall

Katara's POV:

"No!" I yelled, watching Azula as she directed a life-stopping blast of lightning at Aang's back.

It was as if the event occurred in slow motion.

Azula grinned sadistically, tasting victory. I yelled, and a flood of water reached up and caught Aang whilst knocking our enemies off their feet.

Creating a swirl of water to carry us to the surface I looked back at Iroh.

He looked at me with the glint of determination in his eyes and said, "Go! I'll hold them off for as long as I can!"

I hesitated a moment, not wanting to let the man who had just saved our lives sacrifice himself. Glancing at Aang's still form was enough to spur me to action.

I bended the water, allowing us to escape and watched as Iroh: The Dragon of the West defends himself against a squad of earth benders. I lost sight of him, and Sokka called Appa.

The bison swooped in, sensing his friends' danger.

We all climbed onto the saddle, Sokka steering, and everyone else crowded around Aang.

"No, Aang! This can't be it! This can't be the end of our adventure, come back to me!" I muttered with conviction. Turning him on his back, I manipulated the water from the spring in the North Pole and tried to heal the gaping wound in his back.

"'Cmon, Twinkle Toes," Toph whispered.

I was about to give up when, "Katara..." Aang said, weakly. His eyes cracked open and I started to cry. I hugged him tight, until I realized he had passed out again, but unlike last time, he was breathing evenly.

I looked at Toph and Sokka, "We have to keep moving. We need a place to rest and for Aang to heal. Are we ready for this?"

Everyone nodded, knowing all of us would follow Aang to the ends of the earth.

"Let's go."

 **Time skip**

"He's woken up!" I heard someone shout and, abandoning my place on deck, rushed to the door leading to the inside of the ship. As I was about to go in, Aang burst out looking panicked,

 _'_ _Of course he looks panicked! He just woke up in a Fire Navy ship, with no idea how he got there!'_ I thought to myself.

"Aang!" I shouted happily, "It's okay, you're safe!"

He looked at me, confusion written across his face and said, "Katara? What…" The action must have been too much for his body and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He collapsed and I rushed forward to catch him before he hit the deck.

"I'm going to go and give Aang another healing session. You guys good up here?"

Everyone nodded happily, knowing that Aang would be okay.

I nodded and picked Aang up with some help from Pipsqueak. When we got him to his room, I proceeded to run water over his back and muscles. Inspecting the wound in his back, I saw that it was healing nicely.

As I touched the main area of the wound with the water, Aang shouted with pain and woke up.

"Katara? Wh-what's going on? Where are we?"

I smiled at him and gave him a hug, "It's a long story, but it started after Azula hit you in the back with lightning…"

 **Time skip**

Landing Appa on the volcanic beach, I rushed to Aang. He looked at me and said, "You were right. The Avatar needs to be dead to the world, for now."

Then he took his tattered staff and slammed it into a crack that was oozing lava. The glider quickly caught aflame and began to burn.

Aang walked down to us and we had a group hug. Somehow, I knew everything would be okay.

* * *

We flew on Appa for several days, avoiding ships and finding a good place to make camp. Finally, we came across a cave near a fire nation town. It was quite comfortable, it was next to the beach and we had a nice view of the ocean from the mouth of the cave. We had just gotten new clothes, when we got the surprise of our lives.

Aang and I were out practicing our waterbending on the beach. We were being extremely careful, as to not draw the wrong sort of attention.

"Um, Katara?" Aang asked me with a slight panic in his tone.

I was on high alert immediately, "What is it?"

"Is that a person falling into the ocean?"

I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a dark figure falling through the air. ' _How did they get up there?'_ I wondered to myself, before realizing that falling into the water from that height would kill a person. Moving fast, I bent the water to catch his prone form. I set him down in the sand. He was dressed strangely, with blue trousers and a bright orange top. His top had illegible script on it; I wonder if that was his native language?

"We have can't just leave him here," I said to Aang, "Help me get him to the cave."

Aang nodded his head and created a cushion of air underneath him so the boy was hovering a few inches off the ground.

By the time, we got back to the cave it was almost sundown. Aang gently lowered the boy to the ground.

Sokka chose this opportune moment to get back from the marketplace with Toph.

"Hey Katara, what – Ozai's Underwear, who's that?!" He grabbed the Watertribe spear that was resting on the wall of the cave and pointed it at the boy.

"Sokka," I chastised, "Put that down. Aang and I saw him falling from the sky and we caught him before he could hit the water."

Sokka moved closer and eyed the boy suspiciously. I looked at his face and saw that he was maybe, three or four years older than I was. He was quite good looking, with raven black hair that was cut just above his shoulders and tanned skin. He was tall and muscular, though not overly so.

Sokka then took the blunt end of his spear and began poking the side of the boy's head. The boy– I really need to learn this guy's name –groaned and his eyes snapped open. He quickly jumped up and tensed, moving into a defensive stance.

Sokka immediately took offence and matched the boy's stance with his spear. Before a fight could break out, Aang spoke up.

"Hey, we don't want to fight. We saw you falling from the sky and saved you." Turning to Sokka, Aang motioned for him to put down his spear. Sokka reluctantly lowered the tip, but didn't set it down.

The boy relaxed slightly and I finally got a good look at his eyes. They were breathtaking, a churning ocean of sea green that seemed to swirl with power. The most noticeable aspect, was the ring of fiery orange that surrounding the pupil. That ring seemed to dance with warm flames that reminded me of early days when my family was complete, and Mom was still alive.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He simply looked me in the eye and replied.

"Percy Jackson."

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 **(A/N) So, this was more of a filler chapter (except for the end *MWAHAHAHAHA*) How will the Gaang react? How will Percy adjust to this new world?**

 **Okay, guest review replies!**

 **Guest: You weren't my first reviewer, but you were really close! I'm so glad you like my story! I don't really understand the first question, are you asking about pairings? That will be revealed in a few chapters. I am going to dedicate ONE WHOLE CHAPTER to training and Percy discovering his powers with the Gaang, so you'll probably find out then.**

 **Guest: I'm so glad you like my story! 1) You have to wait and see, but it will be hinted at until they discover it. 2) Probably, I might pair him with someone later on, but for now, he'll be a loner. 3) This is set after the hypothetical end of Trials of Apollo. Idk how ToA will end, so I won't say anything more on it than I did in the first chapter. 4) Absolutely! I'll be putting that in within the next 2 chapters, so you won't have to wait long!**

 **And… that's it!**

 **Let's see, pairings! I am going to go with most canon pairings, but I need more feedback on who Percy should be with! Right now, loner is looking to be the most likely, but if you want something else; review!**

 **Next up on my list; rant time.**

 **Percy's intelligence. Now almost every fanfic out there goes with Percy being a complete idiot and as dense as it gets. Now while Percy** ** _does_** **do stupid things sometimes and while he was pretty clueless with Annabeth, he's actually quite intelligent. The nickname 'Seaweed Brain' was not created as an insult to his smarts, but rather, his lack of knowledge regarding the Greek World. Of course, it also is a reference to how Percy comes up with strange comments/ideas and when he's being a bit oblivious, but other than that, there is no real insult to his intelligence.**

 **Percy is very good at coming up with battle strategies and plans. He is only bad in school because of his worse-than-the-average-demigod dyslexia and ADHD. He is very street smart and can lead like nobody's business.**

 **Okay, I'm done ranting.**

 **Basically, what you need to gather from that, is that in this fanfiction he will be smart and more observant when reading people.**

 **Again, thx for reading and, as always, review, question, and comment! Till next time,**

 **~MD5813**


	3. Chapter 3: A Hero And An Abyss

**(A/N) Hey folks! Thank yous to all who review/favorite/followed! Keep it up, it keeps me writing! Here is the third chapter of The New Avatar. Hope you like! ;D**

 **Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

 **~MD5813  
**

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Chapter 3: A Hero And An Abyss

Unknown POV:

Discordant thoughts swam through my mind. Broken flashes of colour and words.

 _Annabeth_

 _Betrayal_

 _Gods_

 _Pain_

 _Pain._

 _Pain!_

 _Silence._

A vast blackness told me I was unconscious. Wait, who am I again?

" **A hero.** " A kind, feminine voice said, calling out to me through the darkness.

Hero? Why am I a hero? Is this a dream?

" **Yes, Little One.** "

You can hear my thoughts?

A gentle laugh echoed in my ears.

" **I reside in them.** "

You're in my mind?

" **In a way.** "

Why am I here? Where is here? Why can't I remember anything? Please. Please, tell me what's happening to me.

" **You are here for many reasons. The first, to bring peace.** " There was a brief pause, as if She didn't know what to say next.

" **The world you were meant to be in is plagued by war and disorder. I have a, well, an** ** _Avatar_** **, so to speak, doing their best to restore balance. He is not succeeding. Recently, he walked the path between Life and Death, pulled back to the world of the living only** ** _just_** **before it was too late. He has been greatly weakened, along with my presence.** "

She stopped talking for a moment and I mulled over what she had said.

This world…war does more than destroy. It decimates. There is nothing left, after war.

Just ashes that drift to the ground. The ashes of the fallen, the fighters, the heroes.

How do I know this? I feel as if this word, war, resonates within me. A deep feeling of sadness and exhaustion.

Why can I not remember? Knowing what something is, having a deep-rooted emotional connection to something, yet not knowing _why_.

" **I am sorry, Little One. You are brave, and have suffered. I have no right to ask of you what I must. I did my best to salvage what of your memories that I could.** "

Thank you. For trying.

What must you ask of me?

" **Your help. Help this world and its inhabitants. I will understand if you refuse. Shall you do so, no harm will come to you. Your spirit will be safe and you will survive.** "

And if I accept?

" **You will endure much. And you will have to lead. Your memories may return, but I cannot be sure. Just know that I will not judge you for your choice.** "

I knew that this decision would probably decide the rest of my life. I feel as if this choice has been given to me before…

I _want_ peace for myself, I _want_ to just stop fighting. Fighting in wars.

War. I can't just stand by knowing that people's lives have been ruined because of senseless conflict, I don't understand how you could stand to the side. Letting all of those things happen when you could stop it?

No.

I've made my decision.

I will help.

I may not know who I am, but I will discover myself again.

I know who I am.

I am a hero.

" **Thank you. You are selfless and brave. Thank you.** "

A name. I have a name. Who am I?

* * *

Opening my eyes.

Suspicious glances.

"Who are you?"

Looking the girl in the eye.

A name. A name. What is a name? A label? An identity?

I now know mine. It comes, a string of emotions and an onslaught of brief, ungraspable images.

I know who I am.

"Percy Jackson."

* * *

 **(A/N) Didn't see that comin' did ya? So, now he has amnesia. And I had fun writing a cliffhanger.**

 **First person to guess who the mysterious 'She' was will be mentioned in the next chapter!**

 **Okie dokie. I am so happy with all of the positive reviews I'm getting! Thank you all so much!**

 **Not much to explain here. I know this is** ** _a lot_** **like what Hera did, but I couldn't resist! So yeah. Sorry-not-sorry. Luv you all! ;b Please! Review, question, comment!**

 **Until next time,**

 **~MD5813**


	4. Chapter 4: To Explain and Demonstrate

**(A/N) Yay! Another update! Okay, from here and onward, the story will move away from the A:TLA storyline. Thanks to all who favorite/follow/review!**

 **Shoutout to** **Elian0587** **for guessing who 'She' was! The voice was Ravaa, speaking with Percy through his dreams.**

 **Disclaimer: Maybe if I wish hard enough? No? Okay.**

 **Read on!**

 **~MD5813**

* * *

Chapter 4: Explanations and Demonstrations

Percy's POV:

It was…strange, to say the least. I was still reeling from finding my name.

Percy Jackson. Perseus Jackson.

As good a name as any, I suppose.

The strange group of people were on high alert, they all had their hands in strange positions, except for a boy with a blue spear.

"Who are you?" I asked, still looking at the girl who helped me find my name. I like her, I decide.

A young girl with unfocused eyes spoke up, "We're asking the questions here, buster. And you better answer them truthfully, I'll know if you're lying."

Well that's odd. How would she know if I were lying?

"Are you with the Fire Nation?" The boy with the spear aked me.

"What's the Fire Nation?" I said, puzzled. The way the boy had said 'Fire Nation' made it sound as if it were something he just scraped off his shoe.

"How do you not know what the Fire Nation is!? Toph, he has got to by lying."

"N-no," the girl with the strange eyes said, "He's telling the truth."

"If you're planning on asking me more questions, I don't believe I'll be of much help." I quipped, butting into the conversation.

"And why is that," the girl– Toph –said.

"Well, I have a bit of a memory problem. I can't remember anything from before just now. Maybe a few words or images, but that's it. I only just now remembered my name." I slid my gaze the other girl, "Thank you for that, by the way, you helped me remember."

"He's not lying," Toph said, helpfully.

At this, their shocked gazes turned sympathetic, and they relaxed.

"I do believe it's high time we introduce ourselves. My name is Katara and this is Toph, Aang, and Sokka." The girl who helped me remember said. Well, I suppose it's Katara.

I thought of telling them about my dream, but immediately decided not to. Who knows how they would react.

I gave them a smile and stood normally.

"Help me with the fire?" Sokka asked.

"Sure," I replied and helped him grab the pile of branches sitting near the mouth of the cave.

Sokka showed me how to start a fire from scratch, rubbing a few pieces of wood together, while Katara and Aang pulled materials to make dinner out of a bag. Toph just propped her feet up on a rock and relaxed.

Finally, we had all settled down around the fire with a pot of stew bubbling merrily over the fire.

"So," I started the conversation, "could you guys, you know, give me the basics of this place?"

Katara smiled kindly at me, "Of course. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, how the four nations once lived in harmony. How everything changed once the Fire Nation attacked. The Avatar was master of all four elements, only he could stop the firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he disappeared. Nobody had seen him for a hundred years, until my brother and I found him, in an iceberg. The current Avatar is Aang. The Fire Nation will do anything to capture Aang before he masters all four elements, so we've been on the run since day one."

I was silent for a moment before I asked, "What is a firebender?"

"Wow, your brain must be real scrambled if you don't know what a bender is," Sokka joked.

"Sokka!" Katara chastised.

"Sorry," he muttered.

We all started to laugh, but I quieted when I realized that their interaction reminded me of something. A pang of loneliness struck through my chest. This is so frustrating; I get these weird feelings but have no idea where they come from!

Some semblance of what was running through my head must have shown on my face.

Aang looked me in the eye, "Hey, we'll get your memory back and get you out of this whole mess."

I smiled at him thankfully and nodded.

"Back to what you were asking," Katara said, "A bender is someone who can manipulate an element, bend it. The four bendable elements are water, earth, fire, and air. The only person who an bend more than one element is the Avatar, or in this case, Aang. People who bend the same element often go to the corresponding nation. The Water Nation is split into the Southern and Northern Watertribes, and they live on the north and south pole. The Air Nation consisted of Air Nomads and they were split into the North, South, East, and West Air Temples. The Earth Nation is the largest, a huge landmass mainly made up of the Earth Kingdom."

She paused for a moment and let this all sink in. I nodded my head and she continued, "The Fire Nation is ruled by a Firelord. The current Firelord, Firelord Ozai, is set on ruling the world. He wants to capture Aang because Ozai knows that Aang is the only one who could stop him."

So, Aang was the 'Avatar' that I need to find and help. Well that was easier than I expected.

Focusing my mind back onto the conversation I asked, "Are any of the rest of you benders?"

Toph let out a loud guffaw, "You're looking at the greatest earthbender to ever live! I may be blind but I can see better than anyone else in the world!"

Well that explains the strange eyes.

"How can you see?" I asked, curious.

"I sense the vibrations through the earth, that's also how I can tell if someone is lying– their heart rate spikes."

"Cool. What about the rest of you?"

"I'm a waterbender and Sokka doesn't have any bending," Katara explained.

Feeling shy I asked, "Could you, well, show me?"

Toph grinned, "AW YEAH!"

"Here we go with the magic water again," Sokka muttered and Katara smacked him upside the head, Aang started bouncing up and down excitedly; he really _was_ only a kid, and led all of us outside. The sun was probably going to go down sometime within the next thirty minutes or so, but there was still be enough light for a demonstration.

The three benders got into a triangle and prepared to face off. Sokka and I stayed a safe distance away.

"Ready? And… GO!" Sokka yelled, starting the sparring match.

Their bending was beautiful, no doubt about it. Katara moved with a fluidness only water could achieve, landing blows on Toph and Aang, then moving out of the way before getting hit.

Toph was the exact opposite, she was hard and steady, not moving and slinging boulders at the other two. She created patches of mud, and rose herself upon a pillar of earth.

Aang was jumping and drifting on the wind. He gracefully danced forward and attacked without anger, then danced back out of range.

I watched for a few minutes, Sokka and I yelling our support.

A stray spike of ice hurtled through the air towards Toph's back. Without thinking, I shouted, "Look out!" and jumped in front of her with my hands out in front of me. I closed my eyes and braced myself to be impaled. When after a while and I still wasn't a Perce-kebab I opened my eyes. What I saw shocked me and everyone else.

The spike of ice had converted back to water and was hovering in a shapeless blob about a foot from my hand. Losing my concentration, the floating blob of water splashed to the ground.

Everyone stared at me while I just stood there rubbing the back of my neck.

"Whoops…"

This seemed to snap everyone out of his or her stupor. Aang let out a whoop and Katara grinned along with Sokka.

"You're a waterbender!" Aang shouted.

Toph moved out from behind me and said, "Well, that was an eventful sparring match."

Everyone busted out laughing and Tops said to me quietly, "Thanks."

I was only one word but the meaning was clear. In this moment I decideed I would take care of this little girl, and all of these other kids. They had been thrust into a war, and none of them were even sixteen years old.

I will protect them, I will fight with them. I will fight _for_ them.

* * *

We made our way back to the cave, laughing. Once we got inside Aang suddenly jumped up shouting, "Appa, he hasen't met Appa!"

Who's Appa?

Evidentially, he was a giant fling bison. That decided to lick me. Yech.

Momo was an adorably annoying flying lemur that liked to sit on Aang's head.

* * *

By now the food was ready and we all sat down, eating. We made pleasant conversation until we were finished.

"I want to help you."

Everyone looked at me, shocked. I seemed to be getting that look a lot.

"Why would you want to help us? We're fighting a _war_."

I smiled sadly, "That is the reason. I might not remember anything, but I know that you are all too young to be fighting. To have endured what you have at such an age… it's not right. I want to help you because I can't just let some stuck up 'Firelord' rule the world. We need to fight back and I want in."

Katara smiled and enveloped me in a hug. Aang and Sokka, even Appa, soon joined us, along with Momo. Toph was the last to join, but I managed to pull her in as well.

I may not know where I came from, or who I _was_ , but I know what I'm doing and who I _am_.

I am Perseus Jackson, I am a friend, a brother, a protector. I am a fighter, a hero, and a warrior. And I will not let _anyone_ hurt my family.

We fell asleep lying on top of each other and finding comfort in the small moment.

* * *

 **(A/N) Okay, a little fluff, a little bit o' plot. My decision has been made! Percy will be paired with** ** _someone_** **and I will reveal them in the next few chapters or so. ;)**

 **I have so much planned for our favorite characters and can't wait to play with them!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Keep It Krispy**

 **~MD5813**


	5. That Dam Author's Note

**Hey u guys. I promised myself I'd never do this, but here is the dreaded AN chapter. I might be a bit late with the update this week, I just had four test this week and a project due today so I've been swamped. of course, I also had to get sick so that's just so much fun (note the sarcasm). I'll try and work on the next chapter, but pretty much everything is giving me a headache along with my 101 degree fever (Fahrenheit).**

 **So, really sorry guys. I promise I'll get the next part out soon though!**

 **~MD5813**


	6. Chapter 5: Slips, Then Shatters

**(A/N) I AM ALIVE! Okay folks, I'm rearin' and ready to go with your next chapter of The New Avatar!**

 **READ ON!**

 **~MD5813**

* * *

Chapter 5: Slips, Then Shatters

Percy's POV:

 _Dream_

 _A boy and a girl were sitting on a bench together, crying. The girl looked to be about fifteen or sixteen and had spiky black hair with a silver tiara on her forehead. Her eyes were a startling electric blue, but were misted over from tears. She was holding a boy that was maybe a year or two younger. He had shoulder-length black hair and dark shadows under his eyes. His eyes were an earthy brown and seemed to dance with shadows. They were dark, filled with pain and sorrow._

 _Why were kids this young so sad? I'll admit that I'm not much older, but I feel a connection to these kids. I feel as if I've known them for years and taken care of them._

 _Who knows, maybe we were friends before I lost my memory?_

 _The girl spoke to the boy, "Why did she do it? She broke him and now he's gone. I can't believe he's gone. I won't. I_ will _find him and bring him home."_

 _The boy looked her in the eye and a look of determination crossed his face. "Don't even think about going on your own. I'm coming too and there's nothing that will stop me."_

 _They both stood up and the girl gazed into the distance._

 _"_ _We're coming for you, Percy. Just hold on."_

I returned to the waking world with a violent jolt.

Who were those people? They seemed to know and care for me, I thought to myself.

Looking around I noticed that I was the first one up. We had all ended up sleeping in a giant dog pile, so I detangled myself carefully, not wanting to wake anyone else up.

Stretching and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I walked to the outside of the cave. The sun was only just rising, a gentle orange glow blanketing the sky. I felt the ocean call out to me and made my way to the beach.

By the time I got to the beach the sun had finished rising. The others would probably be waking up soon, but I just continued on to the water, a clear blue plane that seemed to stretch across the horizon and into infinity.

I stood at the edge of the surf and let my feet get wet. I still had no shoes, and my remaining clothing seemed to be unlike anything the people here had seen.

Closing my eyes, I just let the sound of waves crashing on the shore roll over me. I took a deep breath and inhaled a breath of fresh, sea air.

 _Percy…_

My eyes snapped open. The voice I had heard was a man's and was warm and comforting.

Thoroughly shaken, I decided to try out my newly rediscovered bending. Trusting my gut, I held my hand out and tried to copy one of the movements I had seen Katara do yesterday. The water followed my movements and I laughed, feeling triumph over the small accomplishment.

I held both hands in front of me and pulled them over my head, palms facing down. A huge wave roared into existence and rushed toward me. I lowered my hands slightly and held them in front of me, palms facing forward. The wave simply stopped just as it was about to crash into the sand.

"Impressive," a voice said. I abruptly lost my concentration and the wave crashed back into the ocean.

Turning around, I saw Katara eyeing me with an appraising look in her eye.

She walked forward and circled me, "Little to no form, but that is to be expected. Decent control, and _lots_ of raw power. Very talented, although lacking in the basics of bending."

She stopped circling and stood in front of me, looking me in the eye, "All in all, ready for training."

I smiled at her, "When do we start?"

She gave me a shark-like grin, "Now."

Uh oh.

* * *

By the time we finished, we were both soaked and I was completely exhausted. According to Katara though, I was taking to waterbending like a fish to water (haha puns.). She said that before I had lost my memory, I must have had at least _some_ training, but nothing too extensive. Nevertheless, whatever we worked on, I excelled. It was almost as if the water _wanted_ me to bend it.

We finally got back to the cave, talking and laughing, only to see that the others were still asleep!

I looked at Katara and we gave each other twin troublemaker smirks.

Together we bended the water in our pouches and held it over the others' heads.

 _Three, two, one, and…_

"Gah! Why am I wet!? Seriously, Katara? Percy?" Sokka yelped out.

Aang just bended the water out of his and Toph's clothes and hair, while Sokka sat there sputtering.

While we let Sokka try to wring himself dry, Katara looked over my clothing appraisingly.

"We really need to get you some new clothes," she said, and I looked down at myself. For some strange reason, I felt a kind of attachment to my strange orange top and blue pants.

"…Okay." I said with reluctance.

"Oh, quit your whining," Katara scolded, and, grabbing my hand, pulled me to my feet.

Guess it's time to go shopping.

Toph and Sokka spent their time gambling and winning money with Toph's earthbending, Aang decided to go back to school (honestly, why did he even _want_ to go to school?), while Katara and I sole some poor guy's clothes. By the end of it all, we had at least four or five bags of gold, one noodle portrait of the Firelord, and new clothes for me.

We grabbed two sets, one looked to be more casual, the other a bit formal.

The casual set was a simple red tunic that was covered by a long, deep red vest. My pants were tucked into boots that matched the vest. It was all tied together at the waist with a yellow belt.

The formal set had some sort of chest piece that slipped over my chest and rested on my shoulders, it had a small Fire Nation emblem on the front that did _not_ look cheap. The piece itself was a deep red with black and gold accents. The tunic and pants were a lighter shade of red and were tucked into boots and arm guards with the same colour scheme as the chest piece.

I quickly changed into the more casual set.

Katara said I looked good, but I just shrugged and agreed. Mainly because disagreeing with Katara is often hazardous to your health.

When we met up with the others, Sokka said something about me looking like a 'Tan Prince Zuko', whoever that was.

* * *

We got back to the cave and prepped dinner. Toph bended some seats for us out of the ground, and Katara did the same as the previous night.

While we waited for the food to cook, the others told me of their adventures. Starting with how Katara and Sokka found Aang and Appa in the ice, they wove an intricate tale, stopping only when the food was done.

"Hey Percy, how's it going with your memory problem?" Sokka asked suddenly, having just finished the part about the battle at the Northern Water Tribe.

The mood immediately soured, going from cheery to somber in seconds.

"It's still pretty sketchy. As soon as I think, I've remembered something it just… disappears. The only real success I've had is my name and a weird dream that I had last night. There were these two kids and they said my name like they _knew_ me."

Everyone shot me a sympathetic glance. Suddenly, Aang shot up, startling all of us.

"I know how to try and get some of your memory back!" He said, jumping excitedly.

"How," I asked, genuinely curious.

"We could meditate. Maybe if you just calm and clear your mind, some of your memories will start to come back to you," as he said all of this I thought about it.

"It could work… But we've all seen how hard it is for me to stay still right?" I replied.

"It doesn't hurt to try," Aang offered hopefully.

"Let's do it."

* * *

Aang led me to the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

So this is where he vanishes to every morning.

We both sat down with our legs crossed. We both faced the ocean. For some reason, I felt as if I shouldn't be up this high. I wasn't afraid, per se, it just felt…wrong.

"Okay," Aang started, "Close your eyes."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my mind down.

"Good, keep taking deep breaths. Now try and clear your mind of any clutter and thoughts."

I tried to do what Aang said. Eventually, I managed to get my mind clear.

"Once you clear your mind, try and think of the earliest memory that you can. Think of anything that might trigger a memory. A colour, smells, sounds. Parents, siblings, cousins."

We sat there for another ten minutes with no success.

I opened my eyes to see Aang's mournful face.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I really thought that would work."

"Hey, don't worry about it, we'll figure it out." I said, disappointed in myself more than anything.

"I'll give you a few minutes alone. Who knows, maybe you'll come up with something."

"Yeah…" I said quietly, standing, just watching the horizon as Aanng retired to the cave.

I decided to try one last time.

I closed my eyes.

'Clear your mind' I heard Aang's voice in my head.

 _Focus, Jackson._ I encouraged myself, _Think._

A blurry face seemed to come into the view of my mind's eye.

A woman with wavy brown hair and a few grey streaks. She had eyes the colour of the ocean. They glowed with an inner kindness and made me want to smile.

 _"_ _He was kind, Percy," She said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."_

 _"_ _Silence, Annabeth."_

 _"_ _You drool in your sleep."_

 _"_ _I don't know what my mom will do. I just know I'll fight next to you."_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"_

 _"_ _Percy needs help!" Tyson yelled, and he jumped in front of me just as they threw their balls._

 _"_ _Tyson!" I screamed, but it was too late._

 _Both balls slammed into him…but no…he'd caught them._

 _"_ _Hello, ugly!"_

 _Polyphemus stiffened. "Who said that?"_

 _"_ _Nobody!" Annabeth yelled._

 _"_ _I am Thalia," the girl said. "Daughter of Zeus."_

 _"_ _Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."_

 _"_ _He's the sun god," I said._

 _"_ _That's not what I meant._

 _…_ _she had a silver circlet braided into the top of her long dark hair, so she looked like some kind of Persian princess. "Permission to kill, my lady?"_

 _"_ _Zoe–" I said._

 _"_ _Stars," she whispered. "I can see the stars again, my lady."_

 _And then she did something that surprised me even more. She kissed me._

 _"_ _Be careful, Seaweed Brain."_

The cord _, a familiar voice said._ Remember your lifeline, dummy!

 _"_ _Hold on, Seaweed Brain. You're not getting away from me that easily."_

 _"_ _Annabeth!" I turned in time to see her fall, clutching her arm._

 _And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time._

My eyes shot open. My face spit into an enormous grin, I remembered! Annabeth, Thalia, Nico… Grove?

Wait. No.

I felt the few memories I had reclaimed start to slip away, like water running through my fingers.

I let out an anguished cry, one of unrelenting frustration. So close. I had been _so close_.

If I paid more attention, I would have noticed the ground shaking beneath my feet, trembling

 _No. NonononononoNO! This can't be happening._ I thought in a blind panic.

I was hunched over, my arms hugging my sides as I struggled to pull in breath.

Gone. Nothing. I was back where I had started.

Why?! Why me? I am so tired. Tired of being used. Tired of fighting. Why can't I just give up? Why did I agree to help? Who was that woman that spoke to me?

The questions spun through my mind. An endless tornado of thought.

 _Stop._

 _I'm done._

 _I'm done trying to find who I was._

I do not know who I was. I may never reclaim my memories.

But I know who I will be.

I will be the end of this war. I will not let Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph… _children_ , become the scarred and ravaged thing I am. I will do everything in my power to save them from the fate I was doomed to follow.

I am the destroyer. I have been destroyed.

I am heartless. My heart has been broken.

I am fear. My life has been nothing but.

I am the avenger, and I will avenge. I will avenge the homesick, the beaten. The lost, the broke, the defeated.

I lifted my face, shattered sea green eyes scanning my surroundings. I do not know where these thoughts came from. Meaningful words with no meaning behind them.

My memories were gone and I accept that.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, to whoever might be missing me, wherever I was from.

"I'm not coming home."

A tar slipped from a man in another world. A man who had just seen his son break. He swiped his hand through the one-way watery message.

 _He's gone. My son is truly gone._

* * *

 **(A/N) Wow. The feels.**

 **Good news is, I'm back! I have found my muse (and plot) for this story! Until a few hours ago, I had literally no idea where the hell this story was going. Whelp. You know what they say.**

 **'** **All who wander are not lost'**

 **I wandered. I got lost. And I found my plot-path! ;)**

 **So, hopefully no more super long waits because I know where I'm going with this.**

 **Okay, tell me. Do you want me to reveal Percy's pairing (in an AN) to you in the next chapter? Or, do you want to be surprised?**

 **Okay, I'm gonna try something called Question Of The Day. Here's the first one!**

 **QOTD:** ** _What was the first monster Percy defeated?_**

 **REVIEW!**

 **COMMENT!**

 **CRITICISE!**

 **QUESTION!**

 **Please my darlings, do not be ghost readers! Click that little button and review/favorite/follow!**

 **Ciao,**

 **~MD5813**


	7. Chapter 6: Worries and A Conversation

**(A/N) Congrats to michmech, who got the QOTD right! The answer was the fury, Alecto!**

 **All the important stuff is in the end of chapter note** **read it!**

 **Disclaimer: I haven't done this in a while but…**

 **Roses are red,**

 **Violets are blue,**

 **I no own,**

 **So please don't sue.**

 **:b ;)**

 **~MD5813**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Worries and A Conversation

Katara POV:

It had been two days since Percy had tried to get his memory back by meditating. A few minutes after Aang had come back, saying something about Percy 'getting alone time', a small earthquake hit. Just enough to give us a rattle.

A few minutes later, Percy came back. He said nothing, just walking to his sleeping bag and laying down, but we all knew something was wrong.

We didn't push, his memories were personal and he was entitled to them, but that didn't mean we weren't worried for our friend.

Normally he is so happy and laid back. Lately, he does nothing but train. He trains more than any of us, hours upon hours of nothing but training.

Today, Aang came back to the cave talking about some sort of parent-teacher meeting.

Thinking of no other solution, Sokka and I dressed as his 'parents' and spoke to the headmaster. Although, Sokka really got into his character, he still hasn't taken off his fake mustache!

 ** _TIME SKIP_**

"They're coming, everyone stop bending!" Toph said suddenly. We all immediately froze, stopped bending, and waited for the kids to get here.

Sokka still had that ridiculous beard on and Toph was, well, Toph.

Despite all of this, I was worried about Percy. Ever since he had come back from meditating a few days ago, he's practically become a different person. He wasn't even that, it was almost as if someone had taken everything that made Percy, _Percy_ and pulled it all out.

Whatever he had remembered must have affected his very character to the point where he was a shell of his former self.

I feel as if this dance party will be good for him too, maybe get him out of the pit he's fallen in.

The scariest part was last night, though. I woke up to him making small whimpers and sweating buckets. His sleeping bag had become a tangled mess in his thrashing limbs. I had moved to wake him up, but before I got within a foot of him, he jumped up, pressing me up against the cave wall. I had managed to choke out his name before he did any real damage, but he had beaten himself up about it for hours, probably still was.

Over the time we had spent training together with each other, we had developed a brother-sister relationship. To be honest he was like an older brother to all of us. He protected and cared for all of us.

At the same time, I would not want to get on his bad side. Last night was a perfect example, he wasn't even _awake_ and he took me down. I'm not going to even start on his bending, the guy's insane, he is the most naturally inclined waterbender I have ever come across. By the time he is a master, I feel as if he could take down Master Paku without much thought. And the way he's training, we won't have to wait long.

I pulled myself from my thoughts, caching the end of Aang's sentence.

"–the Flamieo's!" Nobody moved, all of the young Fire Nation students stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

 _Have they never danced?_ Looking at them it wasn't hard to answer that question. _How could one be so cruel as to not let a child_ dance _?_

Sensing their awkwardness, Aang then showed them a few dances.

"Who knew Twinkletoes could dance? Those two look pretty good together."

"Hmm, if that's what you like." I said, a conflicted felling rising in my chest. Aang was like a brother to me, but I don't know what I'll do if we try to get involved _romantically_.

Soon more kids got up to dance, expressing themselves for the first time in their lives.

Then Aang was in front of her with his hand out.

"Come on," he said with his sweet smile.

"Er, well, these shoes aren't really meant for dancing, and…" I trailed off as he simply said,

"Trust me."

I took his hand and we began to dance. So far, this has been one of the best nights I've had since we started our adventure.

Percy POV:

I watched as Aang and Katara began to dance, spinning and darting around. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, but seemed to be meant for the two. Honestly, it's about time the two of them started recognizing their feelings for each other.

The entire time, I had stood in a corner of the cave watching for any possible attacks. Just because Aang trusted these kids, didn't mean I did.

Although, it was good to see the others enjoying themselves for once, just being kids.

I still felt terrible about what had happened last night. I was having a terrible dream; it was a dark red landscape, and all I could feel was pain. It was as if my soul itself were being tortured in the pits of hell.

But waking up to see Katara pushed up against the wall, my arm crushing her throat, trying to choke out my name and wake me up? That was the worst.

Nightmares I could deal with. Almost hurting my friend and sister figure is another story.

I changed my focus to see Toph walk over to me.

"Not gonna' join the party?" She asked me, somewhat sarcastically.

"We may be surrounded by kids, but Sokka was right. We're in enemy territory and have to keep our guard up. Aang being roped into going to school is good a example of that, we're lucky we haven't been found out." I said with a straight face, still watching the mouth of the cave.

"Lighten up, they're just a bunch of kids having a good time." She paused and looked at me, her bangs falling in her face.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's cool, but it would do us all a favor if you tell us what's wrong. We're worried about you." She said the last part in a small voice, reminding me that, behind her tough front and bluster, she was just a twelve-year-old girl thrust into a hundred year old war.

"I'm fine Toph, just trying to figure some stuff out."

"Did I ever tell you that I use my earthbending to see? I pick up even the smallest vibrations, including a person's heart rate. I can tell when you're lying. Percy, you're not okay. You know it, I know it, we all do. So just tell us what's wrong, damnit!"

Her sudden outburst made me start, my gaze sliding from the cave entrance and to her unseeing eyes.

"it's my memories. The other day, meditating, I was _so close_. But it just…slipped away. At this point, I'm just going to let go. I can't be hung up on the past. From what I _can_ gather, I didn't have the best life. I'm tired of fighting, and I know just how messed up and broken really I am. But for now, the only thing that matters is ending this war. And protecting all of you. You guys are my family, my brothers and sisters." I gave her a small smile, "I will never let anything hurt you. Any of you."

At this, Toph's eyes welled up. From what I could tell, nobody had really cared for her while she was growing up, and she was still getting used to the idea of a family.

She then surprised me even further by enveloping me in a hug. Her head only came up to just below my shoulder, so I gently squeezed the small but strong earthbender.

Pulling back, her milky-green eye brightened as she gave me a grin. Then she punched me.

I let out a groan as her fist collided with my abdomen. The kid had a good right hook.

"What was that for?"

"it's how I show affection."

Before I could reply, a group of Fire Nation guards swarmed into the cave, along with the headmaster of Aang's 'school'.

The music immediately cut off, and the kids froze.

"There he is, that's the one we want! The boy with the headband!" The headmaster shouted.

Aang disappeared into the crowd of kids, Katara going with him.

Scanning the crowd, I spotted a kid yanking off his belt and tying it around his head. This confused the rest of the guards, when, the other kids caught on– doing the same with their own belts.

Toph and I slipped through the shadows of the cave and went out the back entrance, Aang closing it off behind us.

We jumped on Aapa, and with a 'yip-yip' we were off. Why the bison responds to 'yip-yip' of all things is beyond me.

"You know," Katara started, "We needed that. It's been a while we've had fun like that."

Aang gave her a bright smile, but I saw the slight discomfort in Katara's face. Hmm. I look into that later.

Katara provided a distraction, saying, "We're safe, you can take the mustache off, now, Sokka."

"Oh no," He said stroking his 'beard', "This is permanently glued to my face."

We all gave a chuckle at this, and to be honest, it felt good to laugh.

So I though, maybe, just maybe, I could pick up the pieces.

* * *

 **(A/N) okay, that happened. We got through the headband episode, and next chappie'll probably Sokk's sword master.**

 **Now, only one person told me if they want me to reveal the pairing! I have over 3,000 views *squeals excitedly, then frowns* and only 36 reviews. Seriously peeps?! REVIEW! That's what inspires me to write, it fuels me! So, don't go all Casper on me.**

 **Well, I've been reading some Zutara, and I am so torn! I love Katara and Aang, but Zutara is AMAZHANG! Plz help me decide, and tell me what you all think in a** **review** **!**

 **QOTD: Who here is a Hamilton fan?**

 **JK.**

 **The real QOTD is…** ** _What was Percy's first supernatural/demigod feat?_**

 **Also, Who here is excited for the release of 'The Golden Tower' aka the 5** **th** **and last book in the Magisterium series!? I am definitely flipping out about what'll happen. Tbh, I want Cal to remember his *SPOILER* past life *END SPOILER* for me, that would be amazing. Hmm, might write a fic about that…**

 **AnyHoO, Ciao,**

 **~MD5813**


	8. Chapter 7: To Protect and Defend

Chapter 7: To Protect and Defend

* * *

 **(A/N) Heeeyyy! *dodges multiple rotten vegetables* I** _ **totally**_ **haven't been MIA for about a month *ducks dagger thrown at head* Sorry? *yelps when almost impaled by spear* Okay, okay, I was gone for a pretty long time but I have a perfectly reasonable explanation! *Drakon suddenly charges* okay, this is getting dangerous...In my defense, I had really bad writer's block and had no idea where this story was going. So I sat down, planned and came up with an ending! So you'll get more regular, weekly updates! Yay! Shout out to** **IDontGetIt1596 for being the fist to answer the QTOD right! It was Percy strangling a snake as a toddler. Also! HUGE shoutout to** **XoverFan4evaaaa for all of their AMAZING ideas and support! (Sry for not doing this earlier :b) They have been so supportive and you can thank them for remindng me to write! Also, I've added this story to Wattpad, for any who like that site better.  
**

 **So,  
**

 **On with the chapter (finally)!**

 **~MD5813**

* * *

Percy POV:

"Wow, this is amazing to watch," Katara said softly, the ever-present ocean of her eyes glinting in the meteor shower's magnificent light.

We had taken a break in flying once we were a few kilometers out from the nearest Fire Nation town. There we could replenish our supplies and update our information on the status of the war.

"Kinda' makes you realize how insignificant we are," Sokka commented, with a slightly dazed look on his face.

"Eh, you seen nothin' once, you've seen it a thousand times," Toph said in her usual tone, eliciting soft laughs and smiles from all.

"It's kinda'…nice, ya' know? Just, relaxing," Aang said. He looked skywards, wonder shining through his soft grey eyes.

Moments like this reminded me that Aang had never really had the chance to be a normal kid. All his life he has done nothing but train and run. He's run from his fears and run from his enemies; never resting, never once pausing to enjoy the view life gave him.

A sudden, bright blue glow interrupted my thoughts.

"You've never not seen something like this," Sokka said, leaning forward with eyes blown wide, and staring at the celestial body falling from the sky.

That was also coming straight for us.

Great.

Surging forward we all managed to scramble to our feet, the meteor flying right over Appa's head.

 **BOOM**

A blue-white explosion rocked the earth, the flash of a raging fire igniting the inky darkness.

We all stared for a moment, awed at the power generated by the explosion. Then, I managed to pull my scrambled thought together and urge the others onto Appa.

"We can't let the fire reach the town," I said, easily shifting into the leadership role, "Toph, try and contain it with you earthbending. Katara, stay on Appa and help Toph. Aang, douse the flames from the ground, I'll help too." I paused, "Sokka…watch Momo."

Sokka let out an indignant squawk, "Hey!" as I gave him Momo and Katara dropped him off by the edge of the fire.

I jumped off the Sky-bison, after giving the reins to Katara, and crouched as I landed. Aang floated to the ground with the grace only an airbender could achieve, and Toph landed hard, cracking the ground where she landed.

That _had_ to have hurt her back. I wonder if she would need painkillers...wait, fire. Focus.

Katara was using the water in the clouds to block off any areas the fire was trying to spread. Toph pulled great blocks of earth into the air and smothered the flames, a few sparks landing next to Sokka.

"Percy, bend the water! I'll cool it down with airbending," Aang yelled.

I nodded in response, closed my eyes, and focused. I could feel the water particles floating through the air and moving through all of the living creatures.

Then I pulled. I pulled water from the clouds, the earth, the air itself. Opening my eyes, I saw a massive sphere of water hovering in the air above me. If I had let it fall, it probably would have filled the whole crater.

Aang looked at me with wide eyes, and then seemed to shake himself out of his shock.

"Ready?"

Gritting my teeth I nodded, controlling this much water at once was starting to cause a dull pain in my gut.

"Now!" I pushed the water forward and focused on making the water freeze. Aang helped by bending the air around the water forwards and towards the fire.

In a great big rush, it was over.

No, in place of a raging wildfire, was a frozen lake covered in snow. Scratch that, _Sokka_ was covered in snow.

I couldn't help it, the look on Sokka's face was too much. All of a sudden, I busted out laughing, the others joining in while Sokka grumbled about magic water. Pretty soon, we were all lying on the ground and laughing, just enjoying the peace while it lasted.

* * *

Thalia POV:

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?" I yelled at my fath- no, Zeus.

We were in the council of the gods. And I was screaming at the King of the Gods.

Good times.

"Perseus was a danger to the camp and risked exposing the mythological world. He had grown too powerful, there was nothing else we could do." He replied with a steely look in his eyes.

They had clouded from his usual electric blue to a dangerous thunderstorm grey. I could tell that he didn't appreciate being yelled at, but at this point, I didn't care. He sent my little cousin, who was practically my brother, to another world to fight in _another gods damned war!_

Hadn't he done enough? Hadn't we all suffered and lost too much already? Without Percy, I knew Nico wouldn't be able to handle all of his nightmares from Tartarus. But what had happened to Nico was nothing compared to what Percy went through. We don't know much besides the fact that Annabeth was unconscious for most of the time and Percy came out of the Doors scarred and broken. All to protect her.

For the first few days after the war, he didn't say much. The only times he would go outside was at night, and that was just to lie on the beach and watch the stars.

After a while, he seemed to pull himself out of his funk and go back to normal, but I could see through his mask. I'm willing to bet Nico and Grover did too. Annabeth just seemed to retreat and spend more time with the other campers instead of Percy.

To top it all off, there were several assassination attempts by monsters on Sally and Paul along with baby Estelle. It got to the point where Percy had the gods ward their apartment. He also moved out to lessen the demigod scent in the area. They rarely got to see each other since Camp simply wasn't meant for mortals.

I had been out at a burger joint catching up with Nico when Lady Artemis had walked in.

 _/Flashback/_

" _So, how's it been with your dad?" I asked Nico, who was currently fiddling with his ring, as we waited for our food._

" _Good. Persephone hasn't turned me into a plant for about a week though, so I think we're making progress," He said with a completely straight face._

 _Sometimes I really couldn't tell when he was joking._

" _O-kay…What about you and Will?" I said, grinning mischievously._

" _W-what about us," he stuttered, turning red, "We're just friends."_

" _Nope, we are_ not _doing another Percy and Annabeth. If you two don't admit you're together within the next two days, I'll do it for you." I continued triumphantly._

 _He just mumbled something about stupid, nosy cousins._

" _I'm guessing Percy has been bugging you about this as well?"_

" _Yeah," he sighed, "but the main thing bugging me is his mental state. Everyone else seems to buy it, but I_ know _he isn't all right."_

 _I nodded solemnly. We both wanted our fun-loving cousin back._

 _Just then, the door of the restaurant jingled as someone opened it. The place was empty, just a few people sitting and enjoying lunch._

 _I looked at Nico and knew we were both thinking the same thing. Monster. We both know not to jump to conclusions, but our paranoia has kept us alive. So far, anyway._

 _Looking at the woman walking in, I was shocked. She made eye contact with me and walked quickly over._

" _My Lady, what brings you here? Is there trouble on Olympus?" I asked the Goddess of The Hunt._

" _Thalia, Nico. This is something that concerns the both of you. As well as Perseus." She said, silver eyes glinting._

" _What happened?" I asked frantically, the two of us standing up._

" _I'm afraid he has been banished."_

 _/Flashback End/_

I managed to pull myself from my memories. After dropping that particular bombshell, Lady Artemis had explained what happened at camp and that Percy was gone.

"This is just because of your damn paranoia. After all that he's done for you, what kinda' **** does he get in return, huh? You banish him to another messed up world to fight in a war! On top of that, you give him more power that he _doesn't want._ He has never wanted power, and you're all just too arrogant to see it!"

We all looked at Nico in shock as he yelled at the gods with tears streaming down his face.

"You've been sending _kids_ to war. They have grown up knowing nothing but fighting and bloodshed, trained to be nothing more than a pawn for you to control at will. I was _twelve_ when I fought in my in my first war. I lost my sister at _ten._ So many of us have lost family, friends, _children!_ And what do all of you do? You sit all high and mighty on your thrones thinking we should thank you for simply gracing us with your presence. Well, newsflash, folks, _we don't care._ You have done nothing but hang around and watch your children die, and then punish one of your own just to shift the blame. Just to try to save your pride.

You probably haven't realized this yet, but we don't fight for you. We fight for our friends and our families. Percy was a role model for us all, and he treated all of us as if we _were_ his family! Now we see the reward we get when we fight. All any of us want is to go home and try to live a normal life. To just try and make it past twenty."

He paused for a moment, his voice cracking on the last word.

"So you had better tell us where the hell he is and how to get there because we are getting our brother back. No matter _what_ it takes."

When Nico finally finished, most of the gods were starting to look guilty.

I stared at him with my mouth wide open. He just flipping _scolded_ the gods of Olympus as if they were little kids.

"He's right."

If my mouth could've dropped farther, it would've because _Athena_ is defending us. Defending Percy. Even though she voted against him, she's defending him.

"We have been ignorant of our mistakes for too long. It is time we stop ignoring our children and act. The Ancient Laws are there for a reason and cannot be abolished, lest the world falls into Chaos, but we can still help. Strengthen the borders of Camp, alert satyrs to the location of our demigod children; take the blame when it is our fault."

The other gods nodded with her and began to look hopeful, knowing that this could be a way to establish a relationship with their children. Zeus was simply glowering at Nico for his long tirade. He probably would've blasted Nico to a grease spot if he were anyone else.

Athena continued, "I regret my decision regarding Perseus, but the past is past."

She paused for a moment then addressed Nico and me, "We cannot return him to our world, because by sending him to another, we had to create something to anchor him there. In this case, it was the need to end the war. If we try to bring Perseus back while the war is still going on, he would simply remain where he was. Only once he completes his purpose would he be able to return. That is, unless, he finds something to anchor him to that world."

"What would happen then?" I asked, fearfully.

"We would need to send someone there to retrieve him. This person or people would have to mean a lot to him, for that person would work as a temporary anchor to this world, via _their_ anchor."

Athena finally finished explaining, and I was getting madder by the second.

"So, you're telling me that we have to wait for a freaking war to end!?" I shouted, not wanting to believe it.

"Unfortunately, yes," Athena answered calmly.

"I have news."

This came from one of the only gods that actually deserve our respect.

Poseidon looked terrible; his eyes were red and had dark circles under them. His skin was uncharacteristically pale and his hair streaked with grey. Even the normal sea green of his eyes had turned murky and sad.

It was obvious that Percy's banishment had taken a toll on the sea god.

"I found a way to create a one-way message to Percy. Using his connection to the sea, I was able to locate him. Typically, he would be able to communicate with me, but since he is in another world, we can only watch and do nothing."

"Will you let us see him?" Nico asked, somewhat desperately.

"I believe we would all like to," Hestia said, speaking up for the first time during the heated meeting.

"Very well," Zeus grumbled. Even he could tell when he was outvoted.

All the gods that had voted for Percy stepped forward eagerly, even a few that had voted against him looked excited at the prospect of watching their hero.

"Hey, we're still here, ya' know!" I yelled because the gods being ten feet tall would makit just a little hard to see.

"Of course," Athena said. She then proceeded to shrink down to human size and conjure sixteen chairs, one for each of the Olympians, Nico, Hestia, Hades, and me.

The other gods followed, shrinking and sitting. I was sitting between Nico and Poseidon, with Nico on my right and Poseidon on my left.

Poseidon raised his hand and a sheet of water condensed from the air. A watery image came up of five people standing in defensive positions. There were four people cornering one tall, raven-haired and slightly scorched figure.

"Percy!" I shouted happily. Until I realized he, was the one being backed up against the wall of a cave?

"No…" Nico trailed off.

Then the sound came in

" -are you?"

This came from a girl of about fourteen with tanned skin, dark hair, and ocean blue eyes.

Percy froze, seemingly in confusion. He opened his mouth, but for a moment seemed to be unable to speak. Then, his eyes lit up with something inexpiable as he said, "Percy Jackson."

"Who are you?" he asked, still looking at the her.

Then, a young girl with unfocused eyes spoke up, "We're asking the questions here, buster. And you better answer them truthfully, I'll know if you're lying."

Human lie detector? That's a new one.

"Are you with the Fire Nation?" The boy with the spear asked him.

"What's the Fire Nation?" he asked in his usual Kelp Head manner.

"How do you not know what the Fire Nation is!? Toph, he has got to by lying." The boy's tone went from disgust and anger, to complete shock.

"N-no," the girl with the strange eyes– I assume she's blind –said, "He's telling the truth."

"If you're planning on asking me more questions, I don't believe I'll be of much help." And there's the sarcasm.

"And why is that," the girl– Toph –said.

"Well, I have a bit of a memory problem."

 _No…_ I heard several gods suck in a breath while Nico let out a sob.

"I can't remember anything from before just now. Maybe a few words or images, but that's it. I only just now remembered my name."

Why? Why? He's already been through this once, why again? I swear to all that's divine, if some goddess stole his memory again they're going to find a few electric arrows in their divine _podex._

"Thank you for that, by the way, you helped me remember."

What?

"He's not lying," Toph said.

Well thanks so much for helping.

Surprisingly, it worked and their gazes turned sympathetic, then they relaxed.

"I do believe it's high time we introduce ourselves. My name is Katara and this is Toph, Aang, and Sokka." The girl– Katara –said.

Well, I suppose she's nice enough.

He gave them his trademark lopsided grin and stood normally.

"Help me with the fire?" Sokka asked.

 **TIMESKIP**

Nico POV:

We all watched Percy rediscover his, as they call it, 'bending' when suddenly the one-way window wavered, then collapsed.

"What happened?!" I asked, albeit quite frantically. My cousin was in another world and suddenly the only way we could see what was happening suddenly shut off? Of course, I would be worried.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't keep it up any longer," Came an exhausted reply from Poseidon. "It's extremely draining to connect to another world."

"It's alright brother, will all convene weekly to check up on Percy," Hestia said, moving to give her brother a warm hug.

"Thank you," Thalia said. I don't think I've ever seen or heard her thank someone so sincerely. I guess we both care for our cousin like the brother we never had- or lost, in Thalia's case.

 **TIMESKIP**

Thalia and I were sitting on a park bench with tears running down our faces. It was hard to believe that our cousin was gone. Before all we felt was anger, but now the shock and sadness began to set in.

Thalia then spoke up, "Why did she do it? She broke him and now he's gone. I can't believe he's gone. I won't. I _will_ find him and bring him home."

I looked her in the eye and felt determination steel my features. "Don't even think about going on your own. I'm coming too and there's nothing that will stop me."

We both stood up and Thalia fixed her gaze on the horizon, as if she were watching what would have been without this whole mess.

"We're coming for you, Percy. Just hold on."

* * *

Percy POV:

"These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night," Aang said as he sat down with is tray.

We were on the balcony of a Fire Nation restaurant, getting ready to finish resupplying.

"Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love," Toph then took a huge bite of her roll.

"Boo hoo, poor heroes," Sokka said from his place on the edge with a scowl.

"You okay, Sokka?" I asked, noticing his mood, "You haven't even touched your food."

"Just…all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff, like, putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around. I can't fly around, okay? I can't do anything," he finished talking, looking close to tears.

I then realized how he must be feeling, everyone else in the group can bend, while he can't. Even me. He was probably looking forward to having another non-bender in the group, but that hope was gone as soon as I found out I was a waterbender.

"Sokka, listen to me. You do so much more for the team than you realize. No one can read a map as good as you," I said.

"I can't read at all," Toph put in.

"Yeah, and who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time? I mean, look at Katara's hair, right? What's up with that," Aang said and I internally winced.

"What? What's wrong with my hair?!" Katara exclaimed, ducking down.

"Nothing, I was just trying to-"

"Look, I appreciate the effort, but, the fact is, each of you is so amazing and so special and I'm…not. I'm just the guy in the group who's just…regular."

Katara and I gave each other a look and got up. We sat down on either side of Sokka, Katara laying a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry you're feeling so sown, but, I hope you know none of us see you that way."

Sokka just looked at her and hung his head. Katara glanced at me, and then got the trace of a smile on her face.

"I know what's gonna' make you feel better," Katara said and shook his shoulder.

"You do?"

* * *

"Shopping!" Sokka exclaimed, clapping his hands as we entered the weapon's shop.

As he proceeded to try out virtually every weapon in the store, I was drawn to an intricate sword hanging on the wall.

I ran my hand along the polished sheath, that was engraved with dragons and flowers.

"You have a good eye," came a voice from my left.

"That's an original from Piando, the greatest sword master and maker in Fire Nation History. He lives in the big castle up the road from here."

By now the others had migrated to admire the sword.

"That's it! That's what you needed all along, Sokka!" Aang said, suddenly.

"A sword?" He asked.

"Not the sword, a master. We've all had masters to help us get better, we should see if you can study with Piandao."

"It would be nice to be a master sword fighter. All right. I'll talk to him," He said, with a determined glint in his eyes.

"That's...actually, that's a pretty good idea," I said, thoughtfully. Then that same feeling of familiarity swept over me as I looked at the sword again.

"Sokka, do you mind if I join you? I just have a feeling…gah, I know that a sword is related to my past, but I just can't-" I let out a low grow of frustration.

Katara gave me a reassuring smile, "We won't stop, you know. We'll try any and everything to get your memories back."

My face twisted into a bitter grin, "I told myself that I'd stop looking for the answers to my past, but the idea of sword fighting…it just won't leave me alone. Might as well satisfy my curiosity, right?"

"I suppose," Katara said, but she and the others looked worried.

 **TIMESKIP**

Sokka stepped up to the huge set of doors. I vaguely noticed at the fire nation symbol and flower petals decorating the front.

He knocked a few times with one of the door knockers. No one answered. He knocked again. No one answered.

"Oh, for spirit's sake! Let me do it," I stepped in front of him and started repeatedly pounding both doorknockers against the door.

Without any warning they opened, I gave a startled yelp, flinching.

"May I help you?" Came the bored tone of a large middle-aged man.

"Ah, yes," I said, regaining my dignity. "We have come to study under the sword master Piandao."

The man sighed, as if this happened a lot, "What did you bring to prove your worth?"

"Er…" Both Sokka and I started searching our clothes.

"I see. Well come in, this'll be quick." He muttered the last part, but I still heard him.

I guess the master doesn't accept students often. I just hope Sokka and me are up to par.

He led us through the courtyard and into the castle. It truly was a beautiful piece of architecture. Torches and lanterns lining the walls dimly lit the halls.

Finally, we reached a large room that had a huge window looking out at a beautiful view. A man was sitting at a low table with various inks and paints lining the edges.

"Let me guess," He said, "You two were the best swordsmen in your little village and decided to come here and learn from the master." He sounded almost amused, as if all we were was a passing entertainment.

"My name is Sokka," said person spoke up, "and, actually, we've traveled all over the world-"

"What makes you so sure that you are truly worthy to learn the art of the sword? Why did you come here? And what about you, hmm?" He said finally addressing me. "What is your name?"

"My name is Perseus. I do not speak for Sokka, but the truth is, I do not know if I am worthy. I do not know what I have done in the past. Up until a few weeks ago, I have no memories. Just the endless question of who I was." I paused, and Piandao tilted his head to the side, asking me to go on.

"I may not know my own history, but I do know that worthiness can only be truly judged by your present actions. I have been given a new scroll and brush to write my story with, and I do not intend to waste them."

He nodded slowly, "What about you, Sokka? Do you believe that you are worthy?"

"If I am to be honest, Master, I as well do not know if I am worthy. One thing is for sure, though, I have a lot to learn."

"I see…Well then, Sokka, Perseus. Let us find out together how worthy you two are. I will train you."

* * *

"Think of your sword as an extension of yourself," Piandao said, maneuvering his sword into complex patterns.

"Like, a second head," Sokka said and I mentally face palmed.

"Hmm, more like a really sharp arm. The sword is a simple tool, but in the hands of a master it becomes the most versatile of weapons. And just as the imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of the sword."

He then instructed Fat to walk Sokka through the basics.

"I will have one-on-one time with each of you. For example, while Perseus is with me, Sokka will be instructed by Fat and vice versa."

I followed Piandao back to the room where he first greeted us.

"As a warrior, you must practice a variety of arts to keep your mind sharp and fluid. The first you will learn is calligraphy. When you write your name, you stamp your identity on the paper, just as you stamp your identity on the battlefield. Not a single stroke can be removed, your actions are permanent. Write your name, and remember that."

I paused for a moment, then I was struck with realization. I didn't know how to write. My memories of language were…gone. Just like every other part of my life.

Then I thought. No, I'm sure as hell not going to give up, this was just a puzzle I need to solve. What was part of my past that I even have some recollection? Waterbending! Sometimes during training I could do the movements better than Katara on the first try. It was all just muscle memory, maybe writing will be the same?

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then I dipped the tip of the brush into the ink and held it over the paper.

 _My name, just write my name._

The brush touched the paper and gentle strokes soon became fast and intricate designs. I stopped.

"Have you fin…" Piandao trailed off.

"Did-did I do something wrong?" I asked still shaken by the sudden remembrance of writing.

"No…I've just…I've only seen that style of writing before in the ancient _undecipherable_ Fire Nation scrolls," he answered, in obvious shock.

What I had written seemed like second nature to me, almost as if someone had programmed my brain to write that way.

Περσέας Τζάκσον.

What did that mean? I know it was simply my name, Perseus Jackson, but how can I write in an undecipherable ancient language? It's official. My life is seriously messed up.

"I believe that will be all for today, I will join you both outside in a moment."

* * *

I found Sokka out in the courtyard getting his ass handed to him. It was that bad.

The butler, Fat, stopped his brutal beat down on Sokka for a moment when he saw me. I could read his thoughts just by looking at his face.

 _Ah, another victim._

Crap.

I was told to take off the apprentice robes provided to me by Piandao and strap on some faux armour. I did just that, and Fat seemed surprised that I had put the armour on correctly, although he didn't say anything.

"We will duel and I will assess the skills you already have."

"As will I," came the voice of Piandao from the top of the courtyard.

I nodded my head and readied the sword Fat gave me. I felt my feet settle into a position like second nature.

"Begin," Piandao said.

For a moment, we did nothing, simply absorbing all we could of the other person before fighting. Suddenly, Fat moved and struck with his sword.

It was as if all my senses had awakened, my body felt alive and buzzing with energy. I blocked the attack and my wooden sword became a blur in my hand. I was a demon, spinning, dodging and slashing, quickly putting the older man on the defense. Then, an opening, the edge of my sword connected with Fat's hilt and I put all of my weight into the trust. His sword went flying out of his hand, the tip of mine just inches away from his undefended chest.

For a while, no one said anything. Then Sokka let out a stunned, "Woah."

"What…Do you know how advanced an attack sequence you just did?" Piandao said, in complete and utter shock.

"Erm, very?" I said, hoping I didn't do anything wrong.

"My boy, who trained you? You are perhaps only slightly below the level of a master!"

"Er, I don't know, Master. I have no memories before a few weeks ago."

Piandao's brow creased in thought, then, "I will be personally training you nonstop, Sokka will join us every other hour."

"Yes, Master," We said in unison.

 **TIMESKIP**

Sokka and I had been trained into the ground over the past few days and we were about to start the less practical part of training together. Sokka was a natural at sword fighting, and had quickly advanced to an intermediate level. Master Piandao had trained me just as he said he would, and I could probably beat him in a duel if we were to fight.

Sokka and I were currently being guided blindly to train with Piandao. All of a sudden we stopped and the blindfolds, whipped off.

"On the battlefield, you have but a second to take everything in and make a plan."

Before me was a beautiful landscape, waterfalls surrounded by green mountains and a blue sky. My hyperactive brain was taking in every detail, down to the butterflies dancing through the tall grass and flowers.

"Now paint it," he said and whipped our heads around to see two canvases with paints and brushes ready. Sokka tried to sneak a peek over his shoulder, but Piandao just turned it back around.

I stepped forward and picked up the brush, not knowing if I had ever painted in my life, let alone how to paint.

Then in my mind's eye, I saw a flash of flaming red accompanied with emerald green.

 _When you paint, envision what you want to paint, then do it! Don't worry about the end result, just go where the brush takes you and enjoy the feeling of creating something of your own!_

Did I just…remember something? I decided to worry about it later, and just follow the advice of whoever had given it.

I envisioned the scene, waterfalls accented with misty grey and surrounded by vibrant green hills, all encased by a soft blue sky.

I began to paint. In the back of my mind I registered the fact that Sokka finished and added a rainbow to his painting, but I was mostly focused on my own.

"I'm finished," I said quietly, stunned by both the fact that I had managed to stay focused for so long and that my painting was _good._

Like, really good.

Damn, another memory mystery. Oh, I should make a point system of how many Memory Mysteries I have! That'll be fun! Okay, so we have the waterbending, the writing, the sword fighting, the painting, the warship…okay, you know what, this is just depressing.

"Wow, Percy, have you ever painted before? Wait…never mind, stupid question.

It was almost exact, except for one thing,

"Why did you add– is that a flying warship?"

He was right, coasting through the sky of my painting was a huge warship with at least two dozen oars on each side and a bronze figurehead of a dragon, proudly observing all below it.

"Between the two of you…" Sokka and I heard Piandao mutter.

We both let out a snort and Piandao smiled wryly.

* * *

"Rock gardening can bring peace to the mind and body, you must work with your environment, just as a warrior must do in battle."

We were in the gardens, but for today, several rocks and boulders had been brought in for training purposes.

"Work with your environment…hmm," Sokka murmured before a mischievous smile crossed his face.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked me and I caught on to his train of thought.

"Hell yes," I said, my smile now mirroring his own.

 **10 minutes later…**

We had rolled several boulders and large rocks over underneath a tree and had set up a nice lounge area.

Two large boulders were surrounding the others, and moss had been draped across then, creating a canopy of shade. The others were arranged to make lounge chairs with footrests.

Finally sitting down after out hard work, we noticed Fat walking up behind Piandao.

"Hey, grab us a cold drink will ya'?" I yelled and the butler did a double take at seeking us relaxing.

"I'll take a slice of lemon in mine," Piandao said, much to Fat's chagrin.

* * *

"You've both had a good first week of training," Piandao said.

"We have?"

"We did?"

We both said at the same time.

"But, I thought we messed everything up," Sokka said, his expression one of a confusion similar to my own.

"You messed things up in a very special way. You are ready for a real sword."

"Are you giving us one of yours?" Sokka said with an excited gasp.

"No. Your sword must be an extension of yourself, so tomorrow you will both make your own sword."

 **TIMESKIP**

Choosing the correct material is the most important step in crafting your own sword. You must trust your steel with your life. Choose carefully."

We both began to inspect the different metals, weighing them in each hand, and biting them is Sokka's case.

"Master, would it be possible for me to leave and bring back a special material for my sword?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," He said with a smile.

Sokka left while I stayed behind.

"No special materials for you, Percy?"

"Ah, well, not yet. But my gut has been telling me to go back to the falls you showed us the other day."

"Hmm, in battle, and in life, it is good to trust your instincts. I'll give you the day off to explore, but I expect you back by nightfall."

I smiled, "Thank you master."

* * *

Dang, that was one heck of a hike. I had finally reached the large lake where the falls pounded against the water. But something was off.

 _It sounds…hollow,_ I realized.

I made a split second decision, and, checking to be sure no one else was around, I bent the water of the lake to make a human sized bubble. Then I stepped inside. After a few steps, the water closed around me, making it certain that several kiloliters would come crashing down and crush me if I lost focus for even a second. Strangely enough, this didn't frighten me. I almost wanted to let go of my control and…

I felt my bubble shudder and that snapped me out of my thoughts.

 _Geez, Jackson, do you have a death wish,_ the rational side of my brain scolded me. _Shut up_ , I told it. Great now I'm arguing with myself. Isn't that the first sign of insanity?

I refocused on the task at hand. I was about to go under the falls. I just have to pray to the spirits that the force of the freshwater doesn't override the control I have of my bubble.

Well, here's to hoping.

I walked forward and suddenly felt a pounding force resist my bending. That dull throb in my gut got stronger, and I felt myself losing control.

 _No! I can't lose control. I won't go out like this, all because I couldn't keep my curiosity in check!_

It was too late. The bubble that was getting steadily smaller finally collapsed on itself and I took one last gulp of precious air. The water rushed around me, and somewhere in the back of my panicked mind, I knew the pressure should've crushed me.

The last vestiges of oxygen in my lungs gave out and I let out the air, taking in a deep breath. However, instead of sucking in a mouthful of water, like I expected, I was able to breathe.

Okay. I'm positive that waterbenders can't breathe underwater, so what in the name of all that is holy is going on?!

I just took a deep breath to calm myself. I looked around, only now noticing that despite the raging falls above me; I was just floating calmly in the same spot.

Then I finally noticed that I was perfectly dry. My robes and hair, that was finally long enough to pull into a Fire Nation topknot, were just as dry as they had been before I went under.

 _All right, I do not want to find out what happens if this wears off, so I'm going to explore, then go straight back._

My decision made, I continued my path until I reached the back of the huge waterfall. Instead of the rocky outcropping, I expected, there was a massive cave.

"Whoa," I said in awe. The ceiling of the cave was lit faintly by the light of, what seemed to be, a whole ecosystem of glowworms.

The cave seemed to be man made, with smooth walls, and intricate engravings that seemed to be thousands of years old.

Looking closer, I saw a design of tridents and people with fishtails. Of monsters and fascinating creatures, I had never heard of before. There were a few that looked like streamlined cows with the wings of a bird, there were men with only one eye in the center of their foreheads.

Moving towards the back, I saw a white statue of a man. He was broad shouldered and had a short beard. He was wearing a strange set of robes that covered only up to his knees and the top part was drawn up to his shoulder, held together by a seashell clasp. In his hand was a trident that rested on a large stone chest. My curiosity got the best of me and I inspected the chest.

On the chest were carvings of, what looked like a forge. Even more intrigued than before, I grasped the edge of the chest and pushed off the top. With a loud crash, the white stone top fell to the ground. Inside was a large chunk of metal. The bright silver seemed to give off a turquoise glow that reflected off the walls.

Okay, this was seriously too good to be true. I go out, looking for a material to make my sword with, find out I can breathe underwater and stay dry, find a strange cave that seemed to be some kind of ancient shrine, then I find a strange metal that's calling to me? Not suspicious at all.

I weighed the pros and cons. On one hand, if I take the silver, I can use it to make a sword that will help me fight in the war and defend myself. On the other hand, though, this could be a Fire Nation trick. I suppose the odds of the Fire Nation creating all of this without the help of a waterbender are unlikely and they have no idea the Avatar is alive or that I've joined him. In the end, I decide to take the silver.

Grabbing the silver in both hands, I made my way back to the edge of the falls. Looking over my shoulder one last time, I dove into the frothy water.

* * *

By the time I got back, it was nightfall. Sokka had already started his 'space-sword' as he called it, and Piandao was waiting for me at the entrance of the forge.

"Ah, Percy, you're back," He said with a pleased smile on his face.

"Yes, Master. And I did not return empty-handed."

At his questioning gaze, I showed him the silver.

"Wh-where did you find this?" He managed to stutter out.

"I was wandering around the edge of the falls and found it buried in the ground," I lied smoothly.

"This-this matched the description of Atlantean Silver. It is said to have been found thousands of years ago and a gift from the spirits. None has been seen for hundreds of years. The metal was rumoured to be neigh unbreakable, and to hold the power of the ocean spirit, La."

My mouth dropped open, unwilling to believe that I had just happened to stuble upon one of the rarest metals in the world.

"Is there enough to make a sword?"

"Yes, and we could quite possibly have some left over."

"Let's get to it, then," I said with a smile.

* * *

Sokka had finished his sword ages ago, and I still didn't know what happened. Mine still needed a hilt to be crafted and I was painstakingly choosing the correct woods.

By the time that was done Piandao took the sword away for its final changes.

* * *

"Percy, when you first came to me, you were unsure of your worthiness. Not knowing ones past gives you another chance, yes, but you also lose what you had.

Now I see, though, you are as determined and stubborn as the largest mountain, as bright and fiery as a raging wildfire. You are as flexible as the wind and as unpredictable and unrestrained as the sea. You take these qualities and make the best of what you have, the friends and family you have made who will stick by you no matter through the good times and the bad.

I am proud to have had you as my student and cherish the time we trained together. You showed creativity, skill, ingenuity, and dedication. I am proud to present to you, your sword."

He pulled from behind his back an intricate steel sheath. Along the edges were line work of tumbling waves that almost seemed to move. He unsheathed the sword and I gasped.

It let off a low turquoise glow that seemed to pulse with a heartbeat of its own. The blade itself was a glinting silver with a tint of greens and blues swirling on either side.

Piandao handed the sword to me and I held it reverently in my hands, "Díni," I murmured, the name coming to my mind in an instant.

I grasped the hand-and-a-half hilt, the cross hilt engraved with the symbols of the four nations, the four elements. This was the first sword I had held that felt truly balanced, yet it also was reminiscent of holding the raging seas in the palm of my hand.

As Piandao had praised me, I felt guilt welling up. In the week and a half that I had studied under him, he had done nothing but good for me. And what have I done this whole time? Lied to his face about who I am and why I came here.

"Master...you're wrong. I'm not who you think. The truth is that I have been traveling with my friends from the Southern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom. I'm sorry."

"Well then," He said with a stormy expression on his face, "I suppose this must be done."

Then he unsheathed his sword and swung at me. I barely had enough time to raise my sword and block the strike, nearly being decapitated.

With a flurry of attacks, he pressed me until I was on the edge of the balcony, just above the courtyard.

Scanning my surroundings, I saw the smooth wall that led beneath the balcony and all the way to the hard ground below. Piandao reached back to swing again and I took my chance. Deflecting his blade up, to where all of the energy from his swing would unbalance him, I somehow drew from a strength I did not know I had. My limbs tingling, I jumped and flipped _over_ Piandao's head. Now I had the advantage, and I made full use of it. We resumed our battle, our swords nothing but silver and steel blurs in our hand.

Dueling a master was probably one of the most difficult sword fighting endeavors I had ever faced. I could tell Piandao was not holding back, every ounce of determination and strength put into each swing, parry, and thrust. In return I gave him my all, our near equal heights making the venture even more trying. I could tell that we were both starting to tire, though his age seemed to be catching up to him. As a younger opponent I had the advantage of speed and stamina, but he had me beat in experience and technique. We had steadily moved closer to the railings of the balcony, nothing but a stone railing between us and a broken neck.

Swing, dodge, slash, parry, repeat. It was an endless dance that would eventually need a victor. Everything was a blur, there was the opening, and the next thing I knew was a loud clang along with the tip of my sword against the master's neck.

For a moment all was silent, nothing but the echo of Piandao's sword hitting the stone.

Then he laughed, "I knew you could do it!"

The tip of my sword dipped in my confusion, "What?"

"Young Sokka had almost the same reaction, and I know you travel with the Avatar. Speaking of which, you may reveal yourselves."

"Holy crap, that was insane!"

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Okay, even I have to admit that was good, Sea Sponge."

I was frozen for a minute with everyone talking at once, then, "Sea Sponge?"

"I gave everyone else nicknames, did ya' think I'd forget about you?" Toph said with her trademark rebellious smirk adorning her face.

"Perseus, I would appreciate it if you could lower your sword?" Came the voice of Piandao.

"Okay, just what the hell is going on?" I asked, now even more confused than before.

"Don't worry, he never meant to kill you. He actually did the same thing to me once I got my sword. It was kinda' like a final assessment. But Spirits, how did you beat him? He practically chased me through the whole yard and I still lost!"

At this, I lowered my sword and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank the spirits, for a second there I thought you would rat us out to the Fire Nation once we left!"

"Ah, you have my word upon my honour that I will not reveal your identities or location," He said with a fatherly smile directed at us all.

"I would be glad if you could spend another night, but I understand that you need to be on your way."

"We'll be moving on, but thank you for your instruction, trust, and friendship," I said, meaning every word and sad to say goodbye to the man. He had helped Sokka and I grow closer as brother figures, while also teaching us despite our strange quirks in learning.

* * *

"Wait! The master wished me to give this to you. As something to remember him by," Fat said, catching his breath as he ran after us.

"Thank you," I said, and cupped the small cloth pouch in my hand. With a nod and a small smile, Fat turned around and reentered the castle, closing the great doors behind him.

"What is it?" Sokka asked.

Pulling the drawstring the pouch opened up to reveal, "It's a White Lotus Pisho tile." I said in minor surprise.

"Oh! That reminds me, Toph, I figured you've never had the chance to bend space-earth before so I brought this for you!"

Sokka pulled out a chunk of the metal he had used to make his sword and handed it to Toph.

"Cool! Thanks, Sokka! Hey guys, check this out!"

She then bent the meteorite chunk into different shapes, the rock almost looking like liquid as she switched from figure to figure.

Chuckling, I tucked the tile into my bag.

"That makes you think, though, is it really space-earth? If it came from space, then it's not technically earth." Katara said with a thoughtful look on her face as we continued to make our way back down the hill.

"Oh, must you ruin everything?!" Sokka exclaimed, fondly yet exasperated.

"I can't believe I missed you."

* * *

 **WHOO that was a hella long chapter! Did it make up for my unplanned hiatus?**

 **Thank you all, wonderful readers, for sticking with me!**

 **Okay, so in this chapter, a lot happened. We saw what happened with Nico and Thalia (Do you all want Thalico or no?) and their reaction to the gods. I hope no one was to OOC? Please tell me if I massively messed up their characters, and I'll fix it!**

 **Percy rediscovered some of his water powers from Poseidon, I was actually planning to introduce that later in the story, but they just kinda fit with him finding the shrine to Poseidon. Did you like that, btw? The silver i figured would be good since in the books only Riptide would work for him (You'll find out what happened to** _ **that**_ **soon enough) The name of his new sword is Díni, aka Vortex or Maelstrom (Pronounced Vee-Nee) and I really am excited about him adding his powers to it! What, did you think it was restricted to just water? Whoops! *covers mouth with hand* Spoilers!**

 **Percy remembered a bit of Rachel and the Argo II! Was his character okay? Now that I have a definitive end, I can really tune him in!**

 **Alright, I have over 6,000 views and only 52 reviews?! Come on peeps, don't leave me hangin'! Speak up! I want to hear your thoughts!**

 **Okay, try and guess the pairing for Percy! I just want to see who you all want. The options are:**

 **Thalia**

 **Nico**

 **Artemis**

 **Hestia**

 **Sokka**

 **Azula**

 **Ty Lee**

 **Mai**

 **Suki**

 **Or**

 **Other (tell me who if they're not listed)**

 **Zuko and Katara are not listed, because I've decided to make this Zutara! Toph and Aang weren't listed, because, ew, they're twelve. So...no.**

 **Review and tell me your thoughts!**

 **Please.**

 **If you want me to add an OC of yours, give me their name, personality, bender or nonbender, friend or foe, and any other information you want to add!**

 **QOTD: Who was the first god to have a dispute/disliking of Percy and why?  
**

 **Is no one a Hamilton fan? :...(**

 **Thanks again, my lovely readers, and sorry for the long wait!**

 **Ciao,**

 **~MD5813**


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